• Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (Philomel, $17.99, age 12 and older): In 1941,

15-year-old Lina and her mother and brother are torn from their home in Lithuania by Soviet
soldiers. The three make the long journey to a work camp while Lina’s father is imprisoned. Lina
makes drawings that she hopes will find their way to her father to let him know they are still
alive. The novel, which spans years and thousands of miles, is one of adventure, cruelty and
hope.

• Blink & Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones (Candlewick, $16.99, age 14 and older): Blink and
Caution are two teenage runaways in Toronto whose adventure involves the faked abduction of a CEO
of a big company. The youths become unlikely partners in a nail-biting plot that will require all
the street smarts they have to survive.

• Chime by Franny Billingsley (Dial, $17.99, age 12 and older): This is the novel nominated for
the National Book Award that was initially confused with another work, Shine. Chime is set at the
beginning of the 20th century and stars Briony, a young woman consumed with guilt and blaming
herself for her family’s problems. She also believes herself to be a witch. The dark and mysterious
world created by Billingsley is offset by the wry humor of her main character.

• A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Jim Kay (Candlewick, $16.99, age 12 and older): When
author Siobhan Dowd died of cancer, Ness finished her story — a dark, funny novel about monsters
and loss. With his mother facing terminal illness, 13-year-old Conor suffers nightmares about a
monster. Then, in his backyard, he discovers a real one who wants something dangerous — the truth.
The novel, with Kay’s illustrations, explores the territory of fear.

• Strings Attached by Judy Blundell (Scholastic, $17.99, age 13 and older): It’s 1950 in New
York and 16-year-old Kit Corrigan finds mystery, love, the glamour of Broadway and the threat of
the mob in a fast-paced, action-packed mystery.